African violet

ABSTRACT

A distinct and new variety of African violet plant distinguished by its large upstanding flowers of intense violet color with petals having entire margins which form a distinctive cluster at the center of the plant rising above a generally horizontal and rotate spread of large leaves having relatively short to half-long and thick petioles having a slender conical shape at their upper ends below the leaf.

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW PLANT VARIETY

The new variety of African violet plant was originated as a seedlingproduced by my crossing two African violet varieties selected from amongmy breeding stock at Stige, Denmark, with the objective of developingdifferent and improved varieties suitable for the commercial market. Theunusual and distinctive flower appearing on this plant and the unique,general compactness of its foliage caused me to select this plant forpropagation and test. My asexual reproduction of this plant throughseveral generations at Stige, Denmark by means of leaf cuttings,demonstrated that these unusual characteristics were firmly fixed,whereupon commercial propagation by leaf cuttings and division of shootswas begun and is now carried on at Stige, Denmark, the distinctivefeatures of the new plant holding true from generation to generation.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The new variety of African violet plant is illustrated by theaccompanying drawing which shows the form, growth habit, and colorcharacteristics of the plant, the color reproduction being as nearlytrue as is reasonably possible to be had by conventional photographicprocedures. The left-hand upper view shows the manner with which theflowers stand just above the compact surrounding foliage; the right-handupper view is a close-up of a fully opened blossom of the new plant; andthe lower view is taken downwardly from above the plant to show thecompactness of the foliage.

DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW PLANT

The following is a detailed description of the new variety of Africanviolet plant with color designations according to the HorticulturalColour Chart (HCC) produced by Robert F. Wilson for the British ColourCouncil and published by The Royal Horticultural Society at London,England.

THE PLANT

Origin: Seedling.

Parentage:

Seed Parent.--#16-2, an unnamed and unpatented variety in my breedingstock.

Pollen Parent.--#16-4, an unnamed and unpatented variety in my breedingstock.

Classification:

Botanic.--Saintpaulia ionantha.

Commercial.--Potted African violet.

Form: Very compact potted plant.

Height: About 10 cm from base (soil) to top of flowers and about 6 cmfrom base (soil) to top of foliage.

Growth: Vigorous and condensed with heavy petioles in rotate fashionholding leaves inclined upwardly so that they do not hang over the edgeof the pot.

Foliage:

Quantity.--Rather sparse.

Size of leaf.--7 cm long and 7 cm wide, in the mature leaf.

Shape of leaf.--Circular with entire to slightly tongued margins. Wavywith ridges between the veins.

Texture.--Slightly tomentose.

Veins.--Pinnate -- very pronounced on underside of leaf.

Color.--Upper side -- Spinach Green 0960/1 with lighter Spinach Green0960/3 edge zones and a central irregular oblong star-shaped Pea Green61/2 spot of about 1 cm having its Sap Green 62/1 tips at some of theveins. Underside -- Agathia Green 60/3 with Pea Green 61/2 veins.

Petioles.--4 cm long and 0.5 cm thick or more on mature leaf. The thickpetioles extend conically to about double diameter at the upper end ofthe leaf. The petioles are Lilac Purple 031/1 and this color changesgradually over the upper conical part to the color of the under side ofthe leaf.

THE BUD

Form: Globular.

Size: 6 mm diameter, just before opening.

Opening rate: Very slow -- six weeks from visible bud to fully openedflower.

Color: Spectrum Violet 735/3.

Sepals:

Slender.--Sepals star-shaped surround the bud.

Number.--5.

Form.--Spear-shaped and unbranched.

Color.--Inside -- Fern Green 0862/3. Outside -- Purple Madder 1028/2.

Splitting.--Calyx splits to star-shape.

Aspect.--Smooth on inside. Hairy on outside.

Peduncle: 9 cm long, erect, and of hairy aspect.

Color.--Purple Madder 1028/2.

THE FLOWER

Blooming Habit: Profuse and recurrent the year around.

Size: Large; about 4 cm in diameter.

Shape: Filled; low hemispheric like a rose or water lily.

Borne: The inflorescense is a cyme.

Petalage: Number -- more than 25 arranged in several circular concentricrings, each ring having 5 petals of which two consecutive are a littlesmaller than the remaining.

Form.--Bulb-shaped with entire margins.

Color.--Topside of young flowers -- Violet 36, of mature flowers AsterViolet 38. Reverse side -- Spectrum Violet 735/3.

Appearance.--Velvety.

Peduncle: Sturdy, upright, about 9 cm long.

Pedicels.--About 2.5 cm long.

Color.--Purple Madder 1028/2.

Effect of Weather: Hot weather suppresses flowering and fades the color.The plant thrives in 70% to 90% humidity.

Fragrance: None.

Lasting Quality: 25-30 days for the fully opened flower.

Persistence: Flowers hang on and dry. Petals do not drop.

REPRODUCTIVE ORGANS

Stamens: No stamens or a few being imperfectly devoloped.

Anthers.--Each of the developed anthers is composed of two anther cells,basifixed in arrangement, and about 1.5 mm long.

Color.--Indian Yellow 6/1.

Filaments.--Length -- about 3 mm. Color: Spectrum Violet 735/1, at top,White Green at the base.

Pollen.--Color -- Light Yellow.

Pistils: One.

Style.--6 mm long. The style is often defectively developed ortransformed into a petal.

Stigma.--Color -- Spectrum Violet 735/1 in top and Mimosa Yellow 602/3at base.

Ovaries.--Tomentose in the mature flower.

This new variety of African violet plant is particularly attractive as ahouse plant. It is vigorous in growth habit producing moderate foliage,situated in a dense rotate fashion, and rose or water lily like blossomsof intense violet color which form a distinctive upstanding cluster atthe center of the plant. The profuse and year around recurrent bloominghabit of this new variety also adds to its overall attractiveness andcommercial value.

I claim:
 1. A new variety of African violet plant, substantially asherein shown and described, characterized by the compact growth, thevery filled intense violet upright flowers which rise upwardly in acentral compact cluster above a circle of leaves having on the upperside a light central star-shaped spot and being supported by heavypeduncles increasing their diameter gradually towards the leaves.